Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"If you don't help her, then you will have a hand in her death instead." Prior to softening, the words were like a bolt of lightning. "Please, I can't stand to see her suffer any longer; she's my sister. I've sent out a summons, and just one monster has responded."

Before advancing past my brother, the woman—no, the demon—sighed in defeat.

I wanted to reach out for him, but she put her hand on my head before I could.

Whatever it was she felt made her gasp.

"Only demons can summon other demons." She turned and cast a wary glance at my brother. "Your bloodline—where does it come from? Do not think of lying to me." My brother was coerced into making a confession by her, and he had no choice but to comply.

"I don't know our true origins, but there have been stories of the old wolves that have been passed down our lineage."

The woman scowled as she turned back towards us, but this time she turned away from me and put her palm on Kyle's forehead instead. He stumbled away from her contact, but she managed to keep him firmly in place.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as the atmosphere around us grew quiet and gentle. She took a step away from us as she let out another loud gasp.

"I haven't experienced anything like your power in ages. You carry the blood of a witch who passed away a long time ago. We believed her influence had been lost."

I could care less! The only way our mother won't find us again is if you get rid of our powers. Kyle was growing agitated once more; he knew that time was of the essence and that our safety was his top priority.

Even though we had witch blood in our veins, it hadn't done us much good up until this point.

When the demon turned to face us, I nearly felt her anxiety seep through her skin. My brother had scars, and I was covered in blood. She could easily spot the telltale indications of abuse, yet it went against her nature to comply with my brother's request. She must have noticed something in my eyes that caused her to change her mind because she whimpered in response to my whimper. I don't believe she would have stayed otherwise.

"I cannot take away what I didn't give." Kyle appeared to be going to charge at her, as she announced, but she held out her hand. The only thing I can do is temporarily restrain your powers, but this is all I can do. The strength of your relationships with your partners will re-awaken your powers, but it's impossible to predict how much damage your power will cause when it is freed after being restrained for so long. While I had trouble understanding what the devil was saying, Kyle seemed to understand it clearly.

I clung to his leg as he retreated toward me. Although his bones were moving beneath his skin, I didn't want his wolf to take over. He ought to be here with me, I thought.

"Do it." He made his decision without giving it any thought.

Demon nodded assent.

"There's something you need to know before I do this. There are other wolves like you in the world, but they do not possess the same kind of magical abilities. Witch-blooded wolves haven't been spotted in ages; in the past, they used to be killed if they displayed their magic, but that hasn't happened in a while. Although you'll be safer outside than you are inside, you must be selective about to whom you reveal your powers. Once more moving toward me was the woman.

"I will bind your sister's magic first."

"You will bind her powers, and then you will send her away from here, and then you will deal with me." My brother interrupted her with a demand of his own, and I began to fear as he retreated from me.

"No! Kyle, I want to stay here. I don't want to leave, so please do not. I'm hesitant to leave. I screamed, and as my unrestrained energy began to rage around me, the furniture began to sway against the floor.

I felt grounded again as Kyle put his hands on my face.

"Kylie, I'll be right behind you. Like I usually am, I'll be by your side. You don't have to be afraid, alright? He dragged the chain that hung around his neck over my head by lifting it up. A small bit of thread with a wooden wolf emblem was all it was. "You can give it back to me when we are out of here." His warm smile caused my body to unwind. He gave my forehead a kiss before starting to back away from me.

This time, as the creature approached me, I held back my screams.

I waited nervously in the silence as she once again put her finger tips on my forehead before she started chanting a spell. Her words began softly at first, and I could feel a liquid-like substance begin to seep into my body, running against my blood and tying knots to my bones. When she increased the volume of her chanting, the pain erupted and burst across my skin, setting all of my nerve endings on fire.

I felt lost in the wilderness since I could no longer see anything and my vision was bursting with brightness. Before I could move once more, it felt like hours had passed. When I opened my eyes, my brother and I were no longer in that basement. I was lying on a woodland floor with my body encircled. I was having a hard time breathing as I scanned my new surroundings.

Kyle was supposed to be immediately behind me, following me like he had promised. But all I could see were the trees swinging in the chilly breeze, which were the only signs of life.

"Kyle!" I yelled despite my best efforts to be patient as the minutes became hours.

I experienced empty, lonesome, and lost feelings.

Days passed before a pack discovered me when I was on the edge of passing out and going insane, and it took them years to give up looking for my brother. Nobody was aware of my origins, but I had never forgotten.